Sheet glass surfacing apparatus



Aug. 16, 1932. J DRAKE 1,872,422

SHEET GLASS SURFAGING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 7, 1926 Qwugntoz (John L- Dry/(e.

atborgwq Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES JOHN L. DRAKE, or 'I.1OLEDO,QHIO, ASSIGNOR TO LIBBEY-OWENSTORD GLASS or TOLEDO, orrro, A oonronamron or OHIO I r PATENT OFFICE.

COMPANY,

sH-nn'reLAss SURFAGINGAPPARATUS I Application' 'filed September 7, 1926. Serial No. 133,787.

g This invention relates to'sheet glass surfacing apparatus, and more particularlyto that form in which the glass iscarriedbeneath a plurality of surfacing units.

The present invention is capable of application in connection withsurfacing machines of both the polishing and grinding type, and it is therefore to beunderstood that the invention is not restricted for use in connection with any one specific form of surfacing apparatus. I r v I In polishing machines, after a certain period of use, the felts of the runners or polish ing blocks become caked with the rouge or other polishing material, and their efficiency is reduced. It therefore becomes necessary that these felts be either cleaned or renewed. Likewise, in grinding machines it becomes necessary to renew the grinderblocks, and

in both types of machines it becomes neces sary to make repairs thereto and renew worn or broken parts.

lihe present invention therefore has-for its principal object to provide means whereby a surfacing machine may be easily and quickly moved out of operative position into a position where it is readily accessible, whereby to facilitate the cleaning or repairing thereof. g i Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby one surfacing machine may be moved out of operative position and another. positioned in its stead without the necessity ofstopping the surfacing operation.

Another object of the invention is theprovision of novel means for mounting the su'r facing unit so that itmay be moved'in a horizontal plane transversely of and away from the sheets being surfaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for raising the machine in a vertical plane away from the sheet prior to moving the said unit in a horizontal plane out of operative position.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for securing the surfacing unit in operative position against horizontal movement.

surfacing unit is supported thereby,

I runner frame 15 in the form of a substantially '17 to be surfaced are supportedupon a plu- A still furtheriobject of the invention is the provision of improved sheet glass surfacing apparatus including a carriage, a surfacing unit supported by said carriage, and means for mounting, said carriage upon tracks or rails so that said unitmaybe moved out of operative position.

. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing wherein likenumerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same, I

Fig. 1 is an elevation. of improved sheet glass surfacing apparatus constructedin accordance with the presentinvention,

Fig. 2 is a View partially in section showing the carriage and the manner in which'the Fig. 3 is a top plan view, Fig. 4: is a detailview of the of a grinding machine, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation of'a modified form ofthe present invention.

Referring now to the, drawing and more especially to Figs 1, 2 and 3, there is disclosed a conventional type of polishing machine designated in its entiretyby the numeral 10, and including a casing 11 in which is journaled a runner spindle 12 driven from a mot'or 13 through the intermediary 'of suitable reducing gears located in the casing 14. Se cured to thelower end ofthe spindle '12 is a grinder head circular spider supporting a plurality of polishing blocks 16.

This machine is shown in connection with the process wherein a series of sheets of glass rality of tables 18, mounted upon rails 19 and adapted to carry the glass under a plurality of surfacing units of the type hereinabove set forth." i V For the purpose of supporting the surfacing unit above the sheet 17, there is provided a carriage designated as a whole by the numeral 20, and comprising a hollow substantially cone shaped portion or housing 21, -1o0 formed at its upper end with an annular shoulder 22. The surfacing unit 10 is received through the housing 21, and the casing 1 1 of said unit is provided with an annular flange 23 which rests upon the shoulder 22.

J ournaled within the upper end of the carriage 20 are oppositely disposed horizontal shafts 24, to which are keyed wheels 25 mounted upon tracks or rails 26, said rails extending transversely of the path of travel of the sheet 17. It will thus be seen that the surfacing unit 10 can be readily moved in a horizontal plane out of operative position whenever desired.

Before moving the'surfacing unit 10 in a horizontal plane, it is first desirable that the machine be raised vertically in order to disengage the polishing blocks 16 from the sheet 17, and in order to accomplish this the carriage 20 is provided at opposite sides with spaced ribs 27 between which are secured bearing bloclzs 28'. Threaded through these bearing blocks 28 are adjusting rods 29, the upper ends of which are received within recesses formed in the flange 23 of the casing 14. Suitable hand wheels 30, carried by the lower ends of the adjusting rods 29, serve to facilitate therotation thereof. YVhen it is desired to raise the polishing blocks 16 from out of engagement with the sheet 17, it is simply necessary to rotate the adjusting rods 29 in the desired direction, whereupon the surfacing unit 10 will be raised within the carriage 20.

In order to secure the surfacing unit in operative position and against horizontal movement, there is secured to the casing 11 a collar 31, carrying a bracket arm 32 which is secured by means of bolts or the like 33 to an angle iron 31 which extends longitudinally of the tables 18, and also longitudinally of the path of travel of the sheets 17. v

By means of the invention disclosed hereinabove, the surfacing unit can be easily and quickly raised in a vertical plane so as to disengage the polishing blocks 16 from the sheet 17, after which the unit can be moved in a horizontal plane out .of operative position and into a position where the same will be readily accessible for the purpose of cleaning or repairing. Due to the novel 'means for mounting the surfacing unit, this unit may be readily removed and, another positioned in its stead without the necessity of stopping the surfacing operation. This can easily be achieved by simply removing one surfacing unit from the rails 26 and mounting another surfacing unit thereon which can then be moved into operative position and secured in place by means of the bolts 33. The removal of onesurfacing unit and the positioning of another can be readily accomplished by means of an ordinary crane.

As brought "out above, the present invention is capable of application in connection with surfacing machines of either the polishing or the grinding type. The grinding machine would be of substantially the same construction as the polishing machine described hereinabove with the exception that instead of providing the runner frame 15 and the polishing blocks 16, there would be secured to the runner spindle 12 a grinder head 35, carrying a grinder block 36, as shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 5, there has been disclosed asomewhat modified form of means for securing the surfacing unit in operative position against horizontal movement. In this modification of the invention, the collar 31, bracket arm 32, and angle iron34, are dispensed with,

and means for clamping the carriage 20 to the rails 26 is provided in lieu thereof. In this figure, the carriage 20 is supported upon each of the rails 26 by a pair of rollers or wheels 37 mounted in bearings 38. These bearings extend downwardly beyond the rails 26, and are directed outwardly at right angles thereto to provide the horizontal lips 39. Suitable clamping screws 40, threaded through the lips 39, bind against the rails 26 whereby to secure the carriage against horizontal movement. Hand wheels 41 are provided to facilitate the rotation of the clamping screws 40.

When the carriage is provided with rail clamping means as described hereinabove, two of the surfacing units 10 can be mounted on each pair of rails 26 so that when one of said units ismoved horizontally out of operativepo sition, the second unit can be moved horizontally into operative position behind the first named unit, and subsequently secured in position.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. In combination in apparatus for surfacing sheet glass, 9. bed movable in a horizontal path and upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, a plurality of pairs of spaced rails arranged transversely above said bed, a carriage posltloned between each pair of rails including a hollow housing supported by said rails and movable along the same, a surfacing unit arranged within and supported by the housing, and adjusting means carried by said housing and passing upwardly therethrough and engaging said surfacing unit for effecting vertical adjustment thereof with respect to said housing.

2. In combination in apparatus for surfacing sheet glass, a bed movable in a horizontal path and upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, a plurality of pairs of spaced rails arranged transversely above said bed,

a carriage positioned between each pair of rails including a hollow housing and wheels carried by said housing and mounted on said rails, said housing being formed with an annular supporting shoulder, a surfacing unit arranged within said housing and having an annular flange resting uponsaid shoulder, and adjusting elements carried by said housing and passing'upwardly through the shoulder thereof, said elements engaging the flange on said surfacing unit to effect vertical adjustment thereof.

3. In apparatus for surfacing sheet lass, a bed upon which the glass to be sur aced is placed, a pair of rails arranged above saidv bed, a carriage positioned between the rails, said carriage including a hollow housing and wheels carried by said housing and running on said rails, said housing being formed with an annular supporting shoulder, a surfacing unit arranged within said housing and having an annular flange resting upon said shoulder, and adjusting elements carried by said housing and passing upwardly through said shoulder, said adjusting elements engaging said flange to effect raising and lowering of said surfacing unit.

4. In combination in apparatus for surfacing sheet glass, a bed movable in astraight horizontal path and upon which the glass is adapted to be mounted, a plurality of parallel pairs of spaced rails arranged transversely above said bed, a carriage positioned between each pair of rails and being supported thereby and movable along the same, a surfacing unit supported adjacent its upper end by each carriage, a member positioned above the bed and extending longitudinally thereof, and means for securing the surfacing units adjacent their lower ends to said member.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, this 3rd day of September, 1926.

JOHN. L. DRAKE. 

